Steering-gear



M.P. FUNK.

STEERING GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 24, 1919. RENEWED SEPT. 13, 1920. 1,360,518.

Patented-Nov. 30, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET lwmm M. P. FUNK.

. STEERING GEAR. APPLICATION FILED MAR.24, 1919. RENEWED SEPT. 13, 1920.

"1 ,360,5 1 8, Patented Nov. 30, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- I UNITED STATES):

PATENT", OFFICE.

MARION r. FUNK, or Elvin, OKLAHOMA, nssrenon- To WILL c. ALLENjor mm),

OKLAHOMA.

jjo p v STEERING-GEAR [A g j Specification Orleans Patent. P tent v 192 Application filed March 24, 1919, Serial 110,284,617. Ren'ewed September 13, '1920. Serial No, 410,008..

To all whom it may 15mm: I

Be it known that 1, Marion P, FUNK, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Enid, in the county of Garfield and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Steering-Gear; and i do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as wii enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. y I

My invention has for its object to provide a simply constructed, inexpensive, and easily installed attachment for Ford and other similar automobiles, so constructed'as to substitute a gear and rack mechanism at the lower end of the steering shaft for the crank arm, and to eliminate the'use ofthe planetary gearing at the upper end of said shaft, the present invention residing principally in the novel construction of the casting which is secured to the frame of the machine and sup- 7 ports the rack and pinion.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a transverse section of the-front end of an automobile equipped withthe invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the plane of the line 2-2 of Fig.1.

v 3 is a horizontal section on the-plane in the drawings above briefly described,

the numeral 1 designates an L-shaped bracket adapted, to be secured by rivets or the like 2 to the'frame of an automobile, said bracket being provided with a depending arm 3 enlarged at its lower end at 4 and here oinedto one end of a horizontally elongated body member 5which is adapted for transverse disposition upon the machine. At its center, the body memberv 5 is provided with an n wardly and forwardly inclined lug 6 whic 1 is joined to one edge of the arm 3, said lug having front and rear flat faces 7 and 8 respectively, an upwardly and rearwardly inclined socket 9 opening through said front face 7, and an opening 10'leading from the rear face 8 into the innerend of the socket. Communicating with: other socket'9 is a channel 11 which is formed longitudinally in the lower sideof the 1 body member 5, thetop, 12 of said channel being disposed in a plane parallel with the axis of the socket 9 and opening l0','while the side walls of said channel are disposed at right angles tosaid bottom, thefront side wall 18 The construction so far described is formed in a single piece byecasting, and machining is done wherever necessary, particuof the channel beingof less height than the rear wall 14 thereof.

larly along the bottom and's'ides of the chans I.

nel 11. It will be observedthat the arrangement. is such asto cause the lug 6 to form a reinforce or brace between the arm 3 and the body member 5, in addition to performing its other functions, and due to theshape and-V ,plate'being secured in'place by cap screws or the like 17 while similar fasteners 18 pass through the. front edge of theplate and through spacing sleeves 19 to secure the plate to and in spaced relation. with the front wall 13 of the channel :11,th'e aforesaid rack bar being provided with a neck 20 which extends forwardly through the space "between I the plate 16 and wall 13.- The neck 20 is provided onits outer end with a ball 21 for re-e ception in the usual socket 22 on the steering 7 rod 23.0f the automobile, whereby when the V rack bar is shifted by turning the pinion 24:.

which meshes therewith, the machine will be steered as required; The pinion 24 is located in the socket 9 and is provided witha hub nut arrangement (not shown), the pinion may be securedon the lower end of the steering'shaft 26. 7

On the Ford automobile, and on some other machines, the shaft 26 is usually connected with the steering rod 23 by means of 3 24" rotatable in the opening 110, andea plate I 25 closes the front end of thesocket so that -theflatter' may well be packed with grease. lfBy any preferred means such asa'key and loo pinion 23 and rack 15.

a crank, but if such a crank is used upon the machine, the pinion and rack take its place as shown. Another feature employed on Ford automobiles is a planetary gear set in the steering wheel assembly for turning the steering shaft 26 with increased power from the steering wheel. Due to the nature of thepresent invention, it is not advisable to employ such planetary gearing, since the steering gear would not operate as quickly necessary, but would require several rotations of the steering wheel to produce results. I therefore contemplate the elimination of certain gears of the planetary gear set and thelocliing of the steering wheel directly to the shaft 26. complishing this end is fully illustrated in F 6, in which figure 28 designates the tubular steering post having the usual gear case29 fixed on .its upper end andprovided with an internal gear ring"80. WVithin the caseir29 is a head 31 carriedby' the steering shaft 26, said head having upstanding studs 32 which commonly carry pinions to mesh with the gear ring 30 and with the main pinion 33 which is driven by the steering wheel 34. In the present invention, however,I remove'the pinions from the studs 32 and substitute metal. blocks 35 having openings 36 to receive said studs, the inner ends of the blocks being pointed at 37 to engage the pinion 33, while the outer ends thereof are curved. at.3 8 for contact with the gear ring 80. By this arrangement of parts, the steering wheel is directly connected with the steering shaft 2-6 so that any slightmovement of the wheel. will be immediately imparted to the pinion 23 and rack 15, thus making the steering gear quick acting and sensitive, although the wheel will have considerably less tendency to wrench loose from the drivers grip as now often occurs;

I am aware that steering devices have heretofore been employed using a pinion and rack for operating a steering roda'nd also know it to be old to substitute a toothed ring for the three pinions of the steering wheel assembly, and I do not claimtha't my invention is sufficiently broad to contem platesuch arrangements, but the simple, inexpensive, easily applied and efficient attachments which I have described, 'constitute the gist of my invention, particular emphasis being laid upon the novel'xconstruction of the castin 'iwhich supports the Since probably the best results are obtainedfrom the details shown andldescribed,

they may well be followed, but within the l The. method of ac set my hand.

scope of the invention as claimed numerous minor changes might well be made.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a steering gear, a one-piece casting consisting of a bracket for attachment to the vehicle frame, said bracket having a de pending arm enlarged at its lower end, a

the'inner end of the socket, the lower side i of said body member having a longitudinal channel whose bottom is disposed in a plane parallel with the axis of said socket. and whose sides are disposed at right angles to said'bottom, the front side wall of said channel being of less height than the rear wall thereof; a rack bar slidable in said channel, a bottom plate positioned over the open side of said channel to retain said rack barin place, the front edge of said plate be ing spaced from the narrow front wall of the channel, bolts securing said plate in posi-- tion and providi steps to limit the movement of said rack bar, a neck extending from said rack bar through the space between said bottom plate and said narrow channel wall and adapted for connection with a steering rod; a pinion in said socket adapted for mounting on an inclined steering shaft and a plate secured over the open end of said socket.

- 2. In a vehicle steering gear, the combination with a steering post having on its end afixed circular case, a steering shaft in said post having a head located in said case and provided with upstanding studs. a pinion concentric with said headi and a steering wheel for driving said pinion; of metal blocks having openings receiving said studs. the inner end of eacli'block being pointed to engagesaid pinionand theouter end thereof beingjcurved for contaet'with the peripheral wall of said' case.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto MARION P. FUNK.

' Witnesses:

:Eo. D. VILSON. H; Z. Wnnewooo. 

